Nothing comes back from $this->renderLayout();

Question

My controller file is being called but I need assistance to know why the block is not being called from $this->renderLayout();

I am assuming that it must be my config.xml so here it is...

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<config>
<modules>
    <Nct_Newgeorgereport>
        <version>0.1.0</version>
    </Nct_Newgeorgereport>
</modules>
<admin>
    <routers>
        <!-- 
        Tell router to look in Nct_ReportNewOrders_controllers
        when the url /admin/reportneworders is used -->
        <Newgeorgereport>
            <use>admin</use>
            <args>
                <module>Nct_Newgeorgereport</module>
                <frontName>newgeorgereport</frontName>
            </args>
        </Newgeorgereport>
    </routers>
</admin>
<adminhtml>
    <menu>
        <report>
            <children>                    
                <Newgeorgereport translate="title" module="Newgeorgereport">
                    <!-- This is the name to be displayed in the admin panel under Reports -->
                    <title>The George Report</title>                        
                    <sort_order>1787</sort_order>  
                    <children>
                        <georgereport1>
                            <title>Inventory Report</title>
                            <sort_order>0</sort_order>
                            <!-- 
                            Specify the controller and location, using the router (defined above),
                            followed by the controller. 
                            I.e.  Nct_Newgeorgereport_controllers_Adminhtml_NewgeorgereportController.php -->
                            <action>newgeorgereport/adminhtml_newgeorgereport</action>
                        </georgereport1>
                        <georgereport2>
                            <title>Customer Order History</title>
                            <sort_order>1</sort_order>
                            <action>newgeorgereport/adminhtml_newgeorgereport</action>
                        </georgereport2>
                        <georgereport3>
                            <title>Part Shipped</title>
                            <sort_order>2</sort_order>
                            <action>newgeorgereport/adminhtml_newgeorgereport</action>
                        </georgereport3>
                        <georgereport4>
                            <title>Back Orders</title>
                            <sort_order>3</sort_order>
                            <action>newgeorgereport/adminhtml_newgeorgereport</action>
                        </georgereport4>
                        <georgereport5>
                            <title>Product Orders</title>
                            <sort_order>4</sort_order>
                            <action>newgeorgereport/adminhtml_newgeorgereport</action>
                        </georgereport5>                                                                                    
                    </children>
                </Newgeorgereport>
            </children>
        </report>
    </menu>        
    <layout>
        <updates>
            <Newgeorgereport>
                <file>Newgeorgereport.xml</file>
            </Newgeorgereport>
        </updates>
    </layout>
</adminhtml>
<global>
    <models>
        <Newgeorgereport>
            <class>Nct_Newgeorgereport_Model</class>
            <resourceModel>Newgeorgereport</resourceModel>
        </Newgeorgereport>
    </models>
    <resources>
        <Newgeorgereport_setup>
            <setup>
                <module>Nct_Newgeorgereport</module>
            </setup>
            <connection>
                <use>core_setup</use>
            </connection>
        </Newgeorgereport_setup>
        <Newgeorgereport_write>
            <connection>
                <use>core_write</use>
            </connection>
        </Newgeorgereport_write>
        <Newgeorgereport_read>
            <connection>
                <use>core_read</use>
            </connection>
        </Newgeorgereport_read>
    </resources>
    <blocks>
        <Newgeorgereport>
            <class>Nct_Newgeorgereport_Block</class>
        </Newgeorgereport>
    </blocks>
    <helpers>
        <Newgeorgereport>
            <class>Nct_Newgeorgereport_Helper</class>
        </Newgeorgereport>
    </helpers>
</global>
</config>

Will an error in config.xml prevent $this->renderLayout(); from bringing anything back? Can anyone tell me where to look in if not?

Thank you.

[EDIT]

I have used this part of the config.xml

        <layout>
        <updates>
            <rental>
                <file>rental.xml</file>
            </rental>
        </updates>
    </layout> 

and put this file...

<?xml version="1.0"?>
    <layout version="0.1.0">
        <newgeorgereport_index_index>
            <reference name="content">
                <block type="newgeorgereport/newgeorgereport" name="newgeorgereport" />
            </reference>
        </newgeorgereport_index_index>
     </layout>

into app/design/frontend/base/default/layout/newgeorgereport.xml

Thank you.

Answer 1

This looks like a lot of typos and case problems.

Beside this, if you have a config part like this:

<layout>
    <updates>
        <rental>
            <file>rental.xml</file>
        </rental>
    </updates>
</layout> 

You should either have a file app/design/frontend/base/default/layout/rental.xml if we are talking about frontend app/design/adminhtml/default/default/layout/rental.xml if we are talking about bankend.

The types before the / in the rental.xml file type="newgeorgereport/newgeorgereport" needs to be the same as the node name in config.xml in global/blocks/, which is Newgeorgereport not newgeorgereport

If you have fixed this, we can go on. I recommend to read Fundamentals for debugging a Magento store